John m



(No Model.)

J. M. BLONDELL. RAILWAY OAR BRAKE.

No. 449,645. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. BLONDELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK E. TOBE,OF SAME PLACE.

RAl LWAY-CAR BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,645, dated March31, 1891. I Application filed August 7,1890. Serial No. 361,379. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. BLoNDELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Baltito the accompanyingdrawings, and to the let-' ters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

My invention relates to brakes for railwaycars; and it consists ofcertain novel parts and combinations of parts, the separate features ofwhich will be separately and specifically pointed out in the claimsconcluding this specification.

My improvement is particularly directed to a device for coupling thebrake-bar to its operating-rod, whereby to obtain a more accurateadjustability of the brake-shoes to'the face of the wheel under varyingconditions due to the rising and falling of the body of the car and bythe settling of the springs or overloading of the cars, to relieve thewear upon the brake-rod, and to prevent the splitting of the brake-bar,which is liable to occur 0 from the twisting and tortuous action of bothbar and rod.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in top Viewa portion of the brake-bar, which carries the brake-shoes 5 and myimproved self-adjusting coupling device connected to a portion of thebrake-operating rod. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, showingthe adjustable coupling de vice in position when the brakes are applied.

Fig. 3 shows a similar view when the brakes are released, and Fig. atshows the flanged plate for connecting the coupling device to thebrake-bar.

In the drawings I have only shown that por- 5 tion of the brake-bar a towhich the operating coupling device is secured; but it will beunderstood that the bar has the usual brakeshoe at each end thereof, andthat the brakeoperating coupling device is secured to the middle of thelength of said bar, and that the latter is suspended in the usual wayfrom a truck or body of the car.

The device which couples the brake-bar a to the operating-rod b, andwhich constitutes myimprovement, consists of two short rods 0,

one placed on the. top and the other on the bottom of said bar, a link01 for connecting them together and to the end of the operatingrod b,and a flanged plate 6 for connecting said rods to the outer side of thebrake-bar to form a coupling device in which the link-jointed rods arefree to have a reciprocating movement through the flanged plate. Thisplate has two flanges or sidesfiwhich fit upon the upper and upon theunder sides of the brake-bar, and the plate is secured upon the outerside of said bar by screw-bolts g, which pass through the bar and areprovided with fastening-nuts. The plate islong enough to form a goodbearing on the bar and to strengthen it at the point where the power ofthe operating-rod is exerted in applying thebrakes. At theftop and atthe bottom the side plates are formed with strong bosses h, throughopenings in which the coupling-rods are passed, and are screw-threadedat their non-connected ends to receive sleeved nuts 2', which secure therods to the said plate and serve to inclose the screw-threaded portionsof said bolts to protect them against dust and rust.

The brake-operating rod is connected to the link centrally between thecoupliugrods, so that in pulling the operating-rod the couplingrods aredrawn in with their sleeved nuts against the flanged plate to apply thebrakeshoes, and in releasing the brakes both or either of the rods arefree to slide back through the flanged plate to allow the brakes to fallaway from the wheels. This freedom of the coupling-rods for independentmovement results from their link-connection and the manner of connectingthe operating-rod to the link, so that the latter is free to have arocking movement upon its central pivotconnection. bar-coupling deviceare that it causes the brake-shoes to be presented fairly to the facesof the Wheels more in a line with the axle without tendency to fallbelow their proper relation to the wheels, relieves the brake-bar fromall splitting strain from the action of the operating-rod, and saves therod itself from being twisted and distorted and broken by the strain. Itadjusts itself to the movement of the brake-bar in such a manner as tocause the brake-bar with its shoes to be brought up to their work withgreater directness and effeet, and insuring thereby prompt control ofthe car and safety to the brake and to the car and to the passengers.

A matter of special importance isthat the rocking link-motion andits twocoupling-rods by their action remove all liability to undue straining,twisting, and breaking of the brake-operating rod or coupling device.

.Referring to the action of the device which connects the middle of thesuspended brakebar a with the brake-operating rod, it will be understoodthat if the brake-operating rod were rigidly connected to the brake-barsuch rigid connection would be liable to split the bar or to twist therod by the strain andforce applied to the brake bar in bringing thebrakes into action. The self-adjusting pivotal and sliding connection ofthe bar with the rod prevents this injury to bar or rod by allowing thebar and its attached shoes tobe brought equally against the wheels, sothat there can be no splitting strain upon either end of the bar. Thepivotal sliding connection for the brake-bar and the brake-rod allowsthe connection of the latter with the carbody to rise and fall with thelatter without ailecting the relation of the brake-bar and its shoeswith the wheels, because the rod, being pivoted at its brake-bar slidingconnection, gives freedom for the rod to turn upon such pivot connectionunder the rising and falling of the car upon its springs Withoutdisturbing the brake-bar, as it would do if the rod were rigidlyconnected to said bar.

I claim as my improvement- 1. In a railway-car brake, the combination,with the brake-bar and the brake-operating rod, of a device connectingthese parts pivotally connected to the brake-operatin g rod and securedto the brake-bar by a connection freely sliding thereon longitudinallywithin certain limits, substantially as described, for the purposespecified.

2. In a railway-car brake, the combination of the brake-bar and thebrake-operating rod combination with rods passing through said openings,having screw-sleeves on their outer ends, a link connecting their innerends, and the brake-operating rod connected to said link between its endconnections, for the purpose stated.

4. The combination, in a railway-car brake, the brake-bar having aflanged strengtheningplate secured to its outer side, thebrake-opcrating rod, and independent coupling-rods above and below saidbar suitably jointed to said brake-operating rod, having a free slidingconnection within said bar-plate, and provided with nuts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. .BLONDELL.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH J. \VELLER, ALONZA. STIDHAM.

